Bonfire Music has released a new music video for Ray Cardwell from his current album, Just A Little Rain.
If you follow Ray’s career, you realize he isn’t going to be cutting another version of a bluegrass standard. Known for years for his unconventional as well as contemporary approach to Mr. Monroe’s music, that is exactly where Cardwell is standing on this track.
The video portrays Ray and his band putting the grass to a soul classic, Al Green’s 1974 hit, Take Me To The River. Written by Green with Teenie Hodges, the song is considered definitive of the period when Al was being pulled by the strain between his material success and his religious upbringing. Not long after this song was released in the early ’70s, Green stopped doing pop songs and became a minister, and eventually titled his autobiography with this same name.
Cardwell brings this number into the progressive bluegrass realm, showing off his impressive vocal skills. Not many singers want to cover Al Green, and Ray gives his best on this track.
He is supported by Tony Wray on guitar, Andrew Crawford on mandolin, Kristen Miller on fiddle, and Steve Wilson on banjo.
Ray tells us that the gray weather at the shoot didn’t dampen their enthusiasm.
“This is my all-time favorite Al Green song! I was so happy to get it on my latest Bonfire Music CD, Just A Little Rain. We shot the video in South Carolina on a cold November day. I had a great group of pickers for the video, we had so much fun at the shoot we all hung out and picked for a while. I hope you enjoy it! (Yes it is the Billy Bass Song)”
Just A Little Rain is available now wherever you stream or download music online, and on CD directly from the artist.
Radio programmers can get the tracks via AirPlay Direct.
